Chicken and Zucchini bake

This chicken and zucchini bake is a perfect dish if you are looking to up the vege component of your meal or a low carb alternate to pasta.  I often end up with leftover Roast Chicken now that hubby and I are empty nesters, a few years back I was roasting 2 chickens for a fmily dinner.!  Now I can use up my leftovers with an easy one pot dish.

Ingredients

2 cups of shredded left over chicken (approx.)
1 cup pasta sugo sauce, pimped with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder/ 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 large zucchini
1/2 diced red or brown onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano or substitute Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or substitute smoked paprika
3/4cup grated cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Garnish
Sour cream
Pickled jalapenos

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Slice zucchini lengthways into thin strips (about 4 slices)
Heat a gridle pan
Pour a little olive oil over each strip of zucchini and season with salt and pepper
Place in hot griddle pan and cook until soft and grill marks appear
Remove and place on a plate and continue cooking until all zucchini are done.

In a large frypan, saute onion then add garlic, fry for 2 minutes then add cumin, oregano, chipotle powder,coriander, chicken and 1/4 cup of pasta sauce. Remove from the heat.

In a rectangular oven dish spoon over 1/4 cup of pasta sauce to cover the base.
Lay zucchini strips side by side
Spoon over all the chicken mix then lay zucchini on top.
Pour over remaining pasta sauce.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
If browning too much on top, cover with foil and then remove for the last 5 minutes.

Serve with dollops of sour cream and sliced jalapenos.

Tip: You could have this all assembled and refrigerated until time to pop in the oven.


Mamma Marmalade